Singularity: the university that aims to solve the world's greatest challenges

Singularity University, a small unaccredited institute based at Nasa's
research centre in California, is attracting the brightest minds from around
the globe to solve world biggest problems

7:00AM BST 24 Aug 2014

The university gets its name from the theory of “singularity” written about by its co-founder Ray Kurzweil – the inevitable moment computers will surpass human intelligence.

Rather than feel threatened by ever-advancing technology, students are taught to harness it to help solve some of the planet’s greatest humanitarian problems, such as famine and climate change.

At the start of term they are set “grand challenges” to come up with ways to help no less than one billion people within a decade. By the end, they are expected to have workable ideas to pitch to potential investors.

More than 4,000 people from as many as 120 countries apply each year for their $25,000 (£15,000) 10-week summer course. With only 80 places, the acceptance rate stands at just two per cent.